Genesis 18:2-33

2When he raised his eyes and looked, behold, three 1men were standing opposite him; and when he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed down to the ground, 3and said, “2My Lord, if now I have found favor in Your sight, please do not 3pass Your servant by. 4Please let a little water be brought and 4wash 5your feet, and make yourselves comfortable under the tree; 5and I will 67bring a piece of bread, so that you may 8refresh yourselves; after that you may go on, since you have 9visited your servant.” And they said, “So do as you have said.” 6So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah, and said, “10Quickly, prepare three 11measures of fine flour, knead it, and make bread cakes.” 7Abraham also ran to the herd, and took a tender and 12choice calf and gave it to the servant, and he hurried to prepare it. 8He took curds and milk and the calf which he had prepared, and set it before them; and he was standing by them under the tree 13as they ate.

9Then they said to him, “Where is your wife Sarah?” And he said, “There, in the tent.” 10He said, “14I will certainly return to you 15at this time next year; and behold, your wife Sarah will have a son.” And Sarah was listening at the tent door, which was behind him. 11Now 16Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in age; Sarah was 17past 18childbearing. 12So Sarah laughed 19to herself, saying, “20After I have become old, am I to have pleasure, my 21lord being old also?” 13But the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Shall I actually give birth to a child, when I am so old?’ 1422Is anything too 23difficult for the Lord? At the 24appointed time I will return to you, 25at this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.” 15Sarah denied it, however, saying, “I did not laugh”; for she was afraid. And He said, “No, but you did laugh.”

16Then 26the men rose up from there, and looked down toward Sodom; and Abraham was walking with them to send them off. 1727The Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham 28what I am about to do, 18since Abraham will certainly become a great and 29mighty nation, and in him 30all the nations of the earth will be blessed? 19For I have 3132chosen him, so that he may 33command his children and his household after him to 34keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice, so that the Lord may bring upon Abraham 35what He has spoken about him.” 20And the Lord said, “36The outcry of Sodom and Gomorrah is indeed great, and their sin is exceedingly grave. 21I will 37go down now and see whether they have done entirely as the outcry, which has come to Me indicates; and if not, I will know.”

22Then 38the men turned away from there and went toward Sodom, while Abraham was still standing before 39the Lord. 23Abraham approached and said, “40Will You indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? 24Suppose there are fifty righteous people within the city; will You indeed sweep it away and not 41spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous who are in it? 25Far be it from You to do 42such a thing, to kill the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous and the wicked are treated alike. Far be it from You! Shall not 43the Judge of all the earth 44deal justly?” 26So the Lord said, “45If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will 46spare the entire place on their account.” 27And Abraham replied, “Now behold, I have 47ventured to speak to the Lord, although I am only 48dust and ashes. 28Suppose the fifty righteous are lacking five, will You destroy the entire city because of five?” And He said, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.” 29And he spoke to Him yet again and said, “Suppose forty are found there?” And He said, “I will not do it on account of the forty.” 30Then he said, “Oh may the Lord not be angry, and I shall speak; suppose thirty are found there?” And He said, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.” 31And he said, “Now behold, I have 49ventured to speak to the Lord; suppose twenty are found there?” And He said, “I will not destroy it on account of the twenty.” 32Then he said, “50Oh may the Lord not be angry, and I shall speak only this once: suppose ten are found there?” And He said, “I will not destroy it on account of the ten.” 33As soon as He had finished speaking to Abraham 51the Lord departed, and Abraham returned to his place.